Collaborative Research: EDGE FGT: DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONAL GENETIC TOOLS IN GECKOS

功能性基因组工具，如CRISPR/cas基因组编辑，对于研究基因组的功能至关重要。 基因的生物学，并改变了我们对基因型与表型关系的理解。 然而，有限数量的物种与基因组修饰方法提出了一个主要的问题， 基因功能的综合比较研究的瓶颈。比如说， 有鳞动物（蜥蜴和蛇）包括超过11，000种描述的物种，占所有物种的40%。 异种。然而，基本的基因编辑方法只适用于一个物种，棕色 变色蜥蜴（Anolis sagrei）。在这里，我们提出：1）建立CRISPR/cas基因编辑在第二 蜥蜴组，壁虎; 2）开发先进的基因编辑方法，以引入精确的基因编辑技术。 蜥蜴（Anolis和壁虎）中的序列取代、插入和缺失;以及3） 通过培训材料和研讨会传播蜥蜴基因编辑技术， 为研究人员生产基因组编辑的蜥蜴。基因编辑工具的发展 壁虎将增加可用于功能基因组工作的有鳞动物模型的数量， 促进基因功能研究在有鳞动物和无鳞动物中的推广。此外，委员会认为， 在蜥蜴中发展功能基因组工具包，包括更精确的基因编辑方法， 扩大问题的范围，可以在这个表型多样化的群体解决。

Functional genomic tools, such as CRISPR/cas genome editing, are critical for investigating the biology of genes and have transformed our understanding of genotype-to-phenotype relationships. However, the limited number of species with genome modification methods presents a major bottleneck in implementing comprehensive, comparative studies of gene function. For instance, squamates (lizard and snakes) include more than 11,000 described species and comprise 40% of all amniote species. Yet basic gene editing methods are only available in a single species, the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei). Here, we propose to: 1) establish CRISPR/cas gene editing in a second lizard group, the geckos; 2) develop advanced gene editing methods for the introduction of precise sequence substitutions, insertions, and deletions in lizards (in both Anolis and geckos); and 3) disseminate lizard gene editing techniques through training materials and workshops and the production of genome-edited lizards for researchers. The development of gene editing tools in geckos will increase the number of squamate models available for functional genomic work and facilitate the generalization of gene function studies across squamates and amniotes. Furthermore, growing the functional genomic toolkit in lizards to include more precise gene editing methods will expand the scope of questions that can be addressed in this phenotypically diverse group.